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Community gathers in Arvada for Jessica Ridgeway memorial

Friends and family gather at the altar just befor the start of a memorial service for 10-year-old Jessica Ridgeway at Faith Bible Chapel in Arvada, Colo., on Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2012. (Kathryn Scott Osler, The Denver Post)

ARVADA — Faith Bible Chapel was awash in purple Tuesday night as family and community remembered a 10-year-old girl who disappeared as she headed for school and whose body was found several days later.

Jessica Ridgeway's favorite color was purple.

Gov. John Hickenlooper, wearing a purple shirt, addressed the service, saying he was there to "express the heart and love of the entire state of Colorado."

When Hickenlooper wore his new shirt to the office Tuesday, a staffer asked about it.

"It's for Jessica," Hickenlooper said.

The staffer smiled, eyes filling up with tears, Hickenlooper recalled.

"There's a fine line between joy and sorrow," he said, between recalling the innocence, joy and brightness of a 10-year-old, and the senselessness of her death.

Hickenlooper talked about the darkness of the tragedy, but also the light of the community, which drew more than 3,000 strong to the church to celebrate Jessica's life.

"See the light, follow the light," he implored.

He asked the community to rally around Jessica's family, as well as one another: "Embrace our responsibility to remember her."

During the service, photos of Jessica flashed on a big screen facing the audience and videos showed a montage of views. Images of a little girl wearing glasses and hugging a dog gave way to Jessica's flashing a grin after losing her front teeth. Photos of a pretty young girl in a beautiful dress gave way to an image of Jessica hugging one family member after another in a seemingly endless stream of love. All the images were accompanied by some of Jessica's favorite songs.

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Pastor Rick Long of Grace Church of Arvada said Jessica's family has received messages of support from throughout the state, the nation and even as far away as Japan.

"In some ways, we all feel connected to her, whether we knew her or not," Long said.

He wanted the gathering to "celebrate" the joys of Jessica's life.

"I want to give you hope," Long said.

He said the message of Jessica was that "love conquers" and that the community should stand united.

Westminster Police Department Chief Lee Birk said he was there to represent the hundreds of law enforcement officers who are still working on the case.

He said he conveyed a message of "peace and love" to Jessica's family from law enforcement and promised the family that officers would diligently keep on the case and get "justice for Jessica."

A stream of friends, neighbors and family repeated the message of hope.

Great-aunt Gay Moore said the family wishes it could return to the way it was, but they are moving "on to the new normal."

She thanked everyone — the community, the state and the world — for "their help and their tears."

"Now she is not just our little girl" Moore said. "She is everyone's little girl."

Ridgeway disappeared from her Westminster home Friday, Oct. 5., when she walked out the front door to walk to her nearby elementary school.

Her body was found on Wednesday, Oct. 10, in Pattridge Park in Arvada, several miles from her Westminster home. Officials identified the body Friday and promised they were looking for the person who killed her.

Police do not suspect Jessica's family. Investigators are focusing on an at-large, unknown predator. Leads in the case have been slim, despite hundreds of tips that detectives have received through dedicated phone lines and internet e-mail boxes set up for the case

Over the weekend about 1,000 people gathered in the rain and wind in Westminster where they held hands and prayed for the girl. Purple balloons were released into the stormy sky.

Memorial sites have also sprung up at Chelsea Park, down the block from Jessica's home where she would meet friends to walk to school with; and at the site in Pattridge Park where her body was found.

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